Northern Lights by Drago Jancar (Writings from an Unbound Europe)

Josef Erdman arrives in Maribor, Slovenia, on the eve of World War II. Though he claims to be a salesman, it soon becomes apparent that Josef has no purpose in the town--and that a newcomer can expect nothing but distrust from the townspeople. Against this backdrop he witnesses the fiery shimmer of the aurora borealis and imagines the town set aflame--an omen of the coming war.

Michael Biggins is a Slavic and East European studies librarian at the University of Washington Libraries in Seattle. His translations include the memoir Necropolis by Boris Pahor, the novels Northern Lights and Mocking Desire by Drago Jancar, and numerous shorter pieces from Slovenian and Russian.